Thursday, March 20, 2014

One of the most important skills for an adult to have in order to
successfully manage her life and achieve independence is a strong grasp
of how to effectively save and manage money. Unfortunately, this is also
a skill that many parents find difficult to pass along. In the interest
of helping your children grow into financially independent adults that
know how to spend money responsibly, it’s essential that you begin
instilling these skills at a young age.

These hints can help you build the foundation for money saving
habits, helping to ensure that your kids gain the skills they need to
see them into the future.

Set Savings Goals
It’s tempting to give in to kids’ requests for big-ticket items, but
you’re running the risk of instilling a sense of entitlement and passing
up a valuable opportunity to foster strong money management
skills by giving in to their whims. Instead of rushing out to make a
pricey purchase, talk to your child about ways that he can save the
money himself and then help him to reach that goal. Many kids operate
best when they have a tangible end goal, rather than a vague idea of
saving money “for a rainy day.” This also helps kids to understand the
importance of not buying things they can’t afford, which can lead to
dangerous credit over-extension later in life.

Give Kids a Structured Allowance
Giving kids an allowance is a time-honored tradition, but you can
help your kids learn valuable money saving skills by insisting that a
certain portion of their allowance be saved, while the rest is available
for spending. When the habit of automatically setting some money aside
is established early, the concept of saving as an adult isn’t so
difficult to wrestle with. This also simulates the experience of paying
bills and managing expenses, making that experience a less traumatic one
than it would be if those lessons were learned in young adulthood.

Use Cash When Kids are Small
Older kids may love watching the numbers in a bank statement climb,
but little ones will respond better to concrete representations of their
amassed wealth. Use transparent jars as banks, and actively try to
generate excitement as those jars are filled with cash. Depositing the
lump sum into a savings account later will help to teach account
management, but watching their stash physically grow will be more
exciting when your children are too young to adequately grasp the
concept of a bank balance.

Take Advantage of Everyday Teaching Opportunities
From talking about big sales to discussing unit price, there are a
plethora of opportunities in everyday life that present themselves for
the teaching of savings skills. Talking to kids about living frugally
and setting money aside is easier when you’re discussing the concept
you’re demonstrating. Remember, kids learn more about the world from
observing their parents and other trusted adults than most people
realize. Discussing how much things cost can also give kids a more
realistic view of money as a tangible object in finite supply.

Open Savings Accounts With Older Kids
While younger children will respond best to watching their money
physically grow, older kids need to learn the essential skills that are
required to successfully maintain a balance in their bank account. Take
your child to the bank and discuss the options for savings accounts
while he’s there to listen. Walk him through the basics, and make sure
that he understands that you’re there to help him. You may be surprised
at the insightful questions he asks about account management.

Give Kids Independence Over Their Spending Decisions
In order to truly learn about financial responsibility, kids need to
have some measure of independence over their savings. This means that
you’ll have to allow him to make a mistake or two in order to learn from
them. Don’t berate him for mistakes or jump to bail him out of the
mess. Instead, take the time to talk about what went wrong and how to
fix the situation responsibly. Remember that every mistake is a learning
experience for your child, especially when it comes to money
management.

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As a Parent Advocate and Author, my parenting book "Wit's End!" is
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